Gayle Arlene Muehring

Gayle Muehring, beloved wife, mother, artist, and friend, passed away on May 14, 2026.

 

Born in the Bronx, New York, to Sally White, whose Ashkenazi Jewish family had roots in Warsaw, Poland, and Jack Greeson, whose family traced their heritage to Britain and Ireland, Gayle was bright, curious, and independent from an early age. She graduated from high school at just 15 years old and later earned a BA in Chemistry from Kansas State University and a Master's degree in Counseling from Lehman College.

 

In 1977, Gayle moved to Montclair, Oakland, California, where she met Ken Muehring, who would become the love of her life and lifelong best friend. They were married in Berkeley on March 11, 1979, and celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary just two months before her passing.

 

Their son, Jason, was born in 1980. Soon afterward they moved to San Ramon, a beautiful Bay Area community that proved to be the perfect place to raise a family. Their daughter, Jana, was born in 1983. Gayle was immensely proud of both of her children, who grew into smart, talented adults and later built happy, lasting marriages and prosperous families of their own.

 

In 1981, Gayle founded Vocational Consulting Service, Inc., through which she provided vocational rehabilitation counseling to numerous clients recovering from workplace injuries. While this work was deeply meaningful, her greatest passion would ultimately become art.

 

Although Gayle had dabbled in art from an early age, she began painting in earnest while living in San Ramon. She drove regularly to Walnut Creek to attend painting classes and quickly became immersed in the East Bay art community. Through years of dedication and study, she developed into a highly trained and accomplished artist, producing hundreds of award-winning oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings. Her work was exhibited and sold throughout the Bay Area, particularly in Walnut Creek and the surrounding East Bay arts community, where she became well known and respected for her talent and distinctive style.

 

In 1990, Gayle founded a custom picture framing business, partly to serve local artists and art enthusiasts, but also to create beautiful frames for her own artwork. Many of her paintings continue to be proudly displayed in her home and in the homes of her children and friends.

 

Gayle possessed a rare eye for beauty—in art, in nature, in people, and in everyday life. She noticed details others often overlooked and brought warmth, creativity, and elegance wherever she went. Her paintings reflected her deep appreciation for color, light, and the natural world.

 

While living in San Ramon, Gayle and Ken became active members of the local Newcomers Club and Gourmet Club, hosting numerous pool parties and dinner gatherings that created lasting friendships.

 

Then, in 1999, while attending a dinner party with close friends in Walnut Creek, Gayle noticed a "For Sale" sign on a nearby lot. Captivated by its beautiful view of Mt. Diablo—one of her favorite subjects to paint—and by her growing appreciation for Walnut Creek's vibrant cultural and dining scene, she immediately knew she wanted it to become the site of their next home after the children had left the nest.

 

Gayle and Ken embraced the enormous challenge of designing and building their own dream home as owner-builders—a project that tested their perseverance, required thousands of decisions, and demanded years of dedication. Inspired by their many trips to Italy, they chose a Mediterranean design with a red tile roof that seemed perfectly suited to the steep hillside overlooking Mt. Diablo. After working with a renowned Bay Area architect to design the home and spending two years obtaining city approval, they managed the construction themselves with subcontractors. In 2002, they moved into what they affectionately called their "adult house," where Gayle lived happily for the next 24 years.

 

The home reflected many of Gayle's passions. It included a professionally designed, directed-light art gallery and a dedicated art studio with its own balcony overlooking Mt. Diablo, where she created many seasonal paintings of the mountain she loved so much. Together, Gayle and Ken planted a backyard vineyard, cultivated numerous fruit trees and flourishing summer gardens, joined a local winemakers club, and even won awards for wines produced from their own grapes.

 

Travel was another great passion. Gayle and Ken explored historical landmarks, museums, beaches, rainforests, local cultures, and cuisines in more than 45 countries and all 50 states by car, train, and cruise ship. Italy was Gayle's favorite country, which she visited six times, while Hawaii remained her favorite state, with more than 30 visits, including their honeymoon on Kauai.

 

Beyond painting and travel, Gayle loved gardening, nature, hiking, downhill skiing, Zumba, music, dancing, reading thriller novels, watching movies, enjoying romantic television shows and crime dramas with Ken, discussing politics, and dining at exceptional restaurants. Auberge du Soleil was one of her favorite destinations for special occasions. She and Ken also shared a special appreciation for the artist Eyvind Earle and collected several of his limited-edition works.

 

One especially memorable adventure was a hiking trip through Costa Rica with approximately thirty members of her hiking club. After returning home, she hosted a gathering at her Walnut Creek home where everyone shared photographs and stories from the journey.

 

Gayle lived with curiosity, generosity, style, and a genuine love of learning and experiencing the world. She enriched the lives of countless friends, fellow artists, clients, and family members through her warmth, creativity, and appreciation for beauty.

 

She will be deeply missed by her devoted husband, Ken; her children, Jason Muehring and Jana Byron; her family; her many friends; and the countless members of the Bay Area artistic community whose lives she touched.

 

In keeping with Gayle's wishes, there will not be a public funeral or memorial service. This online memorial has been created as a place for family and friends to remember her, share photographs, and celebrate the life of a remarkable woman who brought so much beauty into the world.

 

To continue remembering and celebrating Gayle's life, please visit the Mementos section above this memorial, where hundreds of photographs and videos collected and preserved over the years capture the people, places, adventures, and special moments that brought her joy.